Other Campaigns & Policy

Influencing Government

An important part of our work involves bringing together and collaborating with individual women and women's services in Melbourne's Northern metropolitan region and across the state in calling for local Councils and the Victorian State Government to make women's health a priority. Our recent advocacy work is two-fold:

Safe, Well and Connected: Victorian Local Government Action Plan for Women's Health 2012-2016

Raising our voices for women’s health

Local government elections are happening across Victoria in October and Women's Health In the North has secured a pre-election commitment to women's health and wellbeing from a third of candidates across the Northern Region.

The list of committed candidates, available below, includes 7 candidates in Banyule, 20 candidates in Darebin, 8 candidates in Hume, 20 candidates in Moreland, 7 candidates in Nillumbik, 13 candidates in Whittlesea, and 15 candidates in Yarra.

Candidates were asked by WHIN to endorse Safe, Well and Connected: Victorian Local Government Action Plan for Women's Health 2012–2016. The Action Plan, developed by the Women's Health Association Victoria, includes actions to promote gender equity, prevent violence against women, promote women's sexual and reproductive health and improve women's economic participation.

Positive support was received from 90 candidates, which represents 35% of all candidates who provided contact details to the Victorian Electoral Commission.

Priorities for Victorian Women's Health - 2014-2018

WHIN is one of 15 Victorian women's health services that have developed a platform for action on women's health through to 2018. This document builds on the work of Women's Health Matters: From Policy to Practice – Setting the Agenda for Victorian Women's Health 2006–2010 and the 10 Point Plan for Victorian Women's Health 2010-2014.

We want all levels of government and the community and health sectors to endorse this plan and its vision to measurably reduce health inequities for women in Victoria. The document recommends that the Victorian Government women's health policy and action platform should include:

Development of a statewide sexual and reproductive health strategy.

Investment and leadership in the primary prevention of violence against women.

Research and action on th women in a changing society, specifically the impacts of climate change on the health of Victorian women.

Development of a gendered mental health and wellbeing plan.

Further investment in the Victorian Women's Health Program to implement initiatives arising from the actions above.

Campaigning for Positive Change

WHIN's campaign work and advocacy in collaboration with other women's organisations and health and community services in Melbourne's Northern region and across Victoria have brought about positive change for women's health, including:

Decriminalisation of abortion;

Access to assisted reproductive technology for lesbians; and

Establishment of a 24-hour service for women experiencing domestic violence.